Effective August 1, 2016, the employment-based, first-preference
immigrant visa (EB-1) is no longer expected to be immediately
available for individuals born in India and China. Availability is
predicted by the State Department to retrogress to January 1, 2010,
and to not become current again until the new fiscal year begins on
October 1, 2016. EB-1 will remain current and immediately available
to individuals born in all other countries.
EB-1 includes:
- EB-1A – Individuals of extraordinary ability
- EB-1B – Outstanding professors and researchers
- EB-1C – Multinational executives and managers
EB-1 was created as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. This
important visa category has, since its creation, generally been
immediately available and without any quota backlog.
Employment-based immigration in other visa categories has long been
slower for immigrants born in India and China due to the large
number of applications filed each year.
